The "Houdini" Harness

Blogging Friends.... Thank-you for your comments on the other day's post!! I truly appreciated them!! I did not realize until clicking "publish", just how heavy a subject that Blog post was!! {The concept of my mortality all those year ago. How, by God's grace and plans, things have a way of mysteriously working out.} Well. Do you believe in karma? They say that "karma bites". I really haven't a clue, exactly, what "they" mean by this. However. I now sit here typing away on this black computer keyboard, feeling a bit under the weather. Is this what "they" meant by saying "karma bites"? I write a positive, uplifting Blog post. Then--BAM!!--I catch my brother's cold germs. Ugh. Now, mood swing-infused pity parties have hovered over me like some hungry hawk. Karma bites?   

 

Stuff happens. This is a sentence that my Dad often says. And I have always liked it. Stuff happens. This statement leaves room for little excuses. The "blame game" is out of the question. There are no explanations. See, around here, we do not believe in coincidences or flukes, despite our very human minds attempting to make sense of such mysteries. Stuff happens. Last week, I was power-walking Rose up and down our suburban cul-de-sac. There appeared to be some smell--which apparently seemed inviting to her ebony nostrils--along the sidewalk. Now, occasionally, what follows her nose is a wet, pink tongue. And, since I cannot use my inner Sherlock Holmes to decode what, exactly, Rose is sniffing {Aside from tasting it, of course, which he does. I will leave that part to him!!} I usually pull Rose away from her sidewalk treasure. Do I allow my hound to sniff bushes? Certainly!! Do I allow her to sniff grass? Certainly!! But sidewalks can contain heaven-knows-what!! As I pulled Rose away--her strong, stubborn "German Shepherd" shoulder muscles tensing up, an entire cul-de-sac away from home, a busy street lurking in front of us--the red harness came unsnapped!! It happened so fast. Fortunately, I did not have time to panic. Thoughts such as this never crossed my crazy mind. Her harness is undone!! What if she slips out and runs away? The busy street!! What if she runs out into traffic and gets killed by a car? Rose, who shares my attention deficit disorder, was completely unfazed, her ebony nostrils continuously sniffing that sidewalk. I only had time to react. "Oh my gosh!!", were the sole words I recall saying. Then, I stooped over, and--SNAP--my hands re-linked her harness. Just like that. Then, I remember saying this, as my eyes glimpsed toward the busy street's raging late afternoon traffic. "Thank God you have A.D.D.!!". I also investigated the red harness. It was not broken. Or tattered, even. I know that I snapped it on right. I always double-check!! The red harness simply came unsnapped. Obviously, this was some sort of a fluke, right? Not really!! Because, the other day, it occurred again!! This time, we were nearly home, at least!! Rose was sniffing a bush, right in front of our next-door neighbor's house. It was time to go home, so I pulled my little girl away, as her strong, stubborn "German shepherd" shoulder muscles tensed up. And--SNAP--the red harness came undone!! I recall saying this. "Not again!!". And, to my utter shock, as I stooped over to fix it, I noticed something. This time the red harness strap also slipped through a loop!! Rose was nearly harness-free!! Then, our friendly Beagle-owning next door neighbor drove home from work. Rose, my Little Miss Sociable, turned her head to the right, because she wanted him. Again. I did not have time to panic. I only had time to react. "Oh no you don't!!", were the words that slipped through my lips concerning thoughts of losing an almost harness-free dog to our neighbor's. Then. I stooped over, and grabbed Rose's red collar, the harness/leash dragging behind us. We most likely looked like idiots to neighbors, but I did not care!! My canine is safe and sound!! We will not be using that red "Houdini" harness ever again!!